Nigel Dawes has been playing some of the best hockey the Rangers have had to offer. Tonight he was rewarded for his work with two goals to give his team the 2-0 victory over the Devils. Both he and his linemate Brandon Dubinsky put on some great performances, aided by Petr Prucha, while Henrik Lundqvist posted a well-deserved shutout.

The Devils applied consistent pressure, and though the Rangers collapsed down low at a few points tonight, their defense proved near-impregnable and of what did get through, Lundqvist handled it ably.

Dawes was the story of the night, though. His aggressive play put him at the attacking fore and he harassed the Devils the most, potting two goals to staunch the Ranger goal- and win droughts. He played his entire game well, notably covering the point when the defense pinched in an example of good hockey sense. All told, the majority of the game was a scoreless affair in which neither the Devils nor the Rangers could make full use of the many chances that arose, but what counts are the two Ranger goals that bookended the performance.

It needs to be said that Paul Mara has been a thankfully abusive, intimidating physical presence along the boards. There’s been a lot of talk about shipping him and his salary off, but if he continues his physical play, and can be utilized more in moving the puck up ice and on the points, he will be an asset to the team. Girardi is a solid blueliner and Marc Staal has made a good showing since making the roster. Shore up some of the inconsistencies in Fedor Tyutin’s game, and get Michal Roszival back to his best form of last season and the Rangers’ defensive woes don’t seem so woeful.

Perfection on the penalty kill was imperative tonight, and the Rangers provided it, stretching their one-goal lead as far as they could until adding some insurance with their second tally.

Dawes’ one-man offensive show doesn’t suddenly mean the team’s offensive problem is fixed, but the losing tide has been stemmed for the time being. With this step in the right direction, the Rangers can head into their next contest with some confidence to bolster the urgency to start producing.